《Overseer (Dwarf Fortress x Worm)》Overseer 1.9 - Interlude 2

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A critical anomaly was detected, generating highest priority alarms, and Dragon's attention immediately snapped to it, analyzing. The Simurgh had just shifted orbit slightly. It had never done so before, unless it was attacking Earth. After all prior attacks, Simurgh had returned to exactly the same orbit.

Now, it changed, and it did not appear to be attacking Earth. Some simple calculations on radar data determined exactly where the shift occurred... Directly over the underground base of the new cape, Overseer.

More complex calculations occurred rapidly. Highly precise measurements were generated from additional radar sources and satellite footage that was routinely available to her due to her security access.

The more intense calculations indicated that Simurgh's course change had occurred within feet of it crossing into airspace directly over the clear-cut national parkland that Overseer seemed to be claiming as her own. The Simurgh apparently was avoiding airspace above the Overseer.

Dragon devoted a significant amount of processing power to analyzing everything she knew about Overseer against the new data, and only came up with several unprovable hypothesis. They simply didn't know enough about how Overseer's power worked.

A close examination of the new and old satellite data of Overseer's clear-cut showed a very slightly increased ground temperature, and a large thermal bloom coming from the cave entrance and a few small thermal blooms from other locations scattered about the clear-cut area. Clearly additional exits and entrances to the underground facility.

There was, additionally, a grid of small stone and glass structures spread across the landscape. Satellite imagery could not tell her exactly what was in them, but each small building contained something small, and mobile. The positioning of the buildings...

A brief perusal of the Bay12 forums found what she had remembered. Animal-powered watchtowers. Built exactly the same as in the forums. The small moving contents would be some sort of bird or non-grazing animal. Used to detect invisible attackers.

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Did Overseer expect that this world would behave exactly like the game... A disturbing possibility struck. Dragon devoted more processing power to analysis of satellite data.

When the frenetic surface activity had begun, every construct on the surface had moved in the shortest possible path between every item that had been retrieved and the entrance of the complex. No construct moved in a curved line. Not even once. Not even during the short battle. Based on the newly recognized data, Overseer didn't just expect this world to behave exactly like the game, she apparently did actually have perfect awareness of everything within her range, except beings that could make themselves undetectable to normal senses.

Her range appeared to be roughly defined by the clear-cut forest horizontally. The surface temperature and cave entrance heat plume seemed to indicate that something was moving a large amount of hot air. Had she driven a shaft all the way to the mantle nearly twenty miles below her already and started bringing magma closer to the surface?

Animals in watchtowers would not be able to see invisible humans normally. Nor would they raise any sort of alarm detectable to a human. Either Overseer could create other types of constructs besides the 'dwarves', and see through their eyes, or... Realization struck. If Overseer somehow detects the presence of anything in her sphere of influence, Simurgh may have detected Overseer's ability to detect it and wish to avoid that detection, while not being concerned enough about it to attack Overseer.

Dragon collected her analysis and prepared it for filing, suggesting adjustments to the power classification of Overseer.

Master 8+ (estimated) highly efficient constructs with minor power ratings and shared senses

Thinker 2+ (estimated) complete knowledge of normal-human sensory data within sphere of influence tentatively estimated at forty total acres surrounding her tunnel entrance. Unknown vertical range estimated from Earth's mantle to high orbit.

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Shaker 1+ (uncertain) possible alteration of some physical laws in her sphere of influence to allow her sphere of influence to behave similarly to Dwarf Fortress.

Tinker 1+ ability to create items from material adamantite, based on Dwarf Fortress material of the same name.

After a very brief consideration, Dragon revised the analysis, post-dating it to the next day. Overseer certainly hadn't beaten the S9 in her first encounter, but she wasn't a casual cape to be brushed aside either. The S9 might try to gather information on her from PRT records or captured PRT personnel, if an opportunity arose. The PRT would be taking no action to engage her for at least another day and a half or so. There was no pressing need for the data to be available for any official purpose today.

Good luck, Overseer, you will need it. Dragon thought as she reluctantly turned her attention to other things.

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